Ashes 2025 live score: Ben Stokes and England search for final Australia wicket in thrilling first Test

“His character and enthusiasm, the way he goes about his business, he’s a great leader. He’s been out here for the last two weeks, as Ducky said, he’s in beast mode, hopefully that pays off for him and us in the series,” Carse said of Stokes.

“I was nervous, excited, almost going into the unknown, soaking it all up, it’s been a phenomenal day. Stokesy came up with that last night, walking in together, half eight, if half hour later, we’d have got some stick from the Aussie fans. We’ll go back to the hotel, have a quiet night, knock over that last wicket tomorrow.

“I haven’t played in a lot of attacks with five seamers, we complement each other well, all different attributes, hopefully that stands us in good stead throughout the series.”

Former Aussie cricketer Tom Moody has hit out at Usman Khawaja for missing the start of the first innings.

“Poor management… Beyond a joke… like Mitchell Starc led the attack, we needed Uzzie to lead the batting,” Moody said.

Usman Khawaja did not open the batting for Australia in the first Ashes Test in a bizarre error that exposed his teammates to England’s opening bowlers.

England were bowled out for a dismal 172 as Mitchell Starc brilliantly took seven wickets on the first day at the Perth Stadium.

But there was a surprise when Australia’s preferred No 3, Marnus Labuschagne, came out to open with debutant Jake Weatherald instead of Khawaja.

First Test, Optus Stadium in Perth: 21-25 November (UK start time: 2.30am GMT)

Second Test, Gabba in Brisbane: 4-8 December (4.30am)

Third Test, Adelaide Oval in Adelaide: 17-21 December (12am)

Fourth Test, MCG in Melbourne: 26-30 December (11.30pm, 25 December)

Fifth Test, SCG in Sydney: 4-8 January (11.30pm, 3 January)

A whirlwind day that went at 100mph, with bowlers almost as fast on the speed gun. Mitchell Starc led the way with a spectacular seven-wicket haul, only to then be outmuscled by Jofra Archer and Mark Wood – and then outshone by Ben Stokes. This was a day for heroes, and on one of the most mind-bending days of cricket anyone could wish to witness, England found theirs.

Stokes’ five-fer was his sixth in Test cricket and turned the game from one in the balance to one England are now in control of. Their lead at the end of day one is 49, a scarcely believable turnaround from a couple of hours earlier when they had been bundled out for 172.